St. Louis Water Gardening Society
Pond-O-Rama Set For June 23-24
There is nothing so calming and peaceful as the sound of gently moving water. If it doesn’t exist in their current environments, members of the St. Louis Water Gardening Society create their own serenity in backyard gardens—and once a year, they are willing to show everyone how sweet it is–the 12th annual Pond-O-Rama will be held Saturday and Sunday, June 23-24. There is something for every taste on this year’s tour, from towering waterfalls, gentle trickling streams, pondless waterfalls and rain recovery systems. In them and in the surrounding landscapes are some of the most glorious gardens in the St. Louis area—a pleasure for gardeners and wildlife alike. Birds, butterflies and glorious photo opportunities abound!
Memorial Hospital in Belleville hs added the serene sound of water in a towering waterfall on its campus. It was built by Landworks, Inc. The impressive waterfall will be on the 2012 tour, along with six other installations in Belleville/O’Fallon/Shiloh. Together, they make a trip to the Metro East worthwhile.
Pondless waterfalls are a solution for those who want to have the soothing sounds of water, but either do not have room for a pond, or don’t want the responsibility of caring for plants and fish. These kinds of water features have been growing in popularity, but now an ecologically friendly “wrinkle” has been added. Rainfall recovery systems are essentially pondless waterfalls that add an underground storage tank to collect rain water off rooftops and driveways. That water then can be used to water the landscape. Chris Siewing of Nature’s Re-Creations built a number of these systems, including the one in his front yard.
Of the 45 gardens on the 2012 tour, 25 are new to the event. Several others, including the ponds and gardens at Chalily Pond and Gardens, and that at the home of Todd and Chris Rundquist, West Winds Earthscaping LLC, have undergone extensive renovations since the 2011 tour.
As always, a part of the attraction will be the blooming gardens and landscapes surrounding the water features and the interesting individual whimsical touches.
Tour tickets will be available after May 25 at local retailers and nurseries, at SLWGS meetings, and by mail through the St. Louis Water Gardening Society website. Tickets are $15 each and everyone 18 years of age and older must have a ticket to attend. For information about where to buy tickets, visit our website, www.slwgs.org or call (314) 995-2988.